Occupied waters: Israel hijacks Gaza-bound humanitarian ship in international waters
The Madleen, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza with 12 crew members, reached near Gaza waters in the early hours of Monday, June 9, 2025. However, the Zionist regime attacked the ship, hijacked it, and detained its crew.
According to reports, five Zionist fast boats surrounded and stopped the Madleen near Gaza waters.
International requests to ensure the safety of the Madleen were futile. The head of the International Committee to Break the Gaza Siege called on world countries, particularly France and the UK, to guarantee the safety of the ship’s crew.
The Madleen’s crew reported the tense situation moment by moment during the pursuit and siege, noting the presence of six fast boats and a drone hovering above. Moments before losing contact, they reported a white liquid being sprayed on the ship. Al Jazeera reported that this thick white liquid was either an irritant causing eye burning and discomfort or a substance to enhance the ship’s “traceability.”
The ship’s captain instructed the crew to remain calm, sit down, and wear life jackets. The crew informed the Zionist commandos that they were carrying humanitarian aid and would leave safely.
An hour later, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported losing contact with the Madleen, stating that Zionist forces had hijacked the ship and its crew.
Zionist media reported that the regime’s army intercepted the Madleen en route to Gaza and ordered it to stop. The ship’s refusal to change course provided a pretext for the Zionist army to surround it, though the crew refused to surrender to the Zionist forces.
The Zionist regime’s army radio, quoting a military source, stated that naval commandos had taken control of the Madleen, which is being escorted to Ashdod port.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories, stated that the Madleen posed no threat to Israel’s security and that Israel had no right to stop it in international waters.
The identification of the Madleen’s crew is underway for interrogation, which will take place in Ashdod.
The Zionist regime’s Foreign Ministry claimed that Gaza’s maritime area is under a legal blockade and closed to unauthorized vessels. The ministry’s statement claimed that unauthorized attempts to break the blockade are dangerous, illegal, and undermine humanitarian efforts.
Zionist media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israel Katz, the regime’s war minister, thanking the army for swiftly controlling the ship and preventing it from breaking the blockade and reaching Gaza’s shores.
In a video released by Thiago Avila, one of the Madleen’s crew, he said, “If this video is released, I have been arrested or kidnapped by Israel or an allied force.” He urged supporters to pressure their governments and those of other crew members to secure their release, cut ties with the Zionist regime, end the genocide in Gaza, and lift the blockade.
Greta Thunberg, a Swedish crew member, in a similar pre-recorded video, stated, “If you’re seeing this video, we’ve been intercepted and kidnapped by Israeli occupation forces or their supporters in international waters. I ask all my friends and family to pressure the Swedish government to free me and others as soon as possible.”
A non-resident member of the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies said, “The absolute silence of the crew’s governments reflects Israel’s impunity.”
They added that if any other country deployed forces to seize a small civilian boat with 12 unarmed civilians delivering food, formula, and crutches to a besieged population, it would be immediately labeled state-sponsored piracy, which it undoubtedly is. “For Israel, there’s always an exception.”
The expert noted that while The Hague has emphasized the need for unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s besieged population, this is not just state-sponsored piracy but a direct violation of provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
A Rutgers University law professor and executive editor of Just Security said, “Assaults on human dignity, particularly humiliating and degrading treatment, constitute a war crime.” Noting that the UK is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), they added that the ship is registered in the UK, meaning its laws apply.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the Zionist regime’s seizure of the Freedom Flotilla ship and its crew. CAIR’s national executive director said, “We strongly condemn Israel’s cowardly and illegal attack on the Madleen, which was approaching Gaza with humanitarian aid. This is a blatant act of international piracy and state terrorism.”
They added that Israeli occupiers have no legal right to blockade Gaza’s shores, let alone fire chemical weapons at humanitarian aid boats and kidnap their passengers in international waters.
The Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), carries 12 crew members, including human rights activist Greta Thunberg, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The ship is named after Gaza’s first and only female fisherman, Madleen. On June 1, 2025, just a month after a Zionist drone attack on another aid ship, Conscience, the Madleen began its journey from Malta’s shores.
The ship set sail in response to the Zionist regime’s complete blockade of aid to the Palestinian region since March 2, 2025, which has led to the deaths of dozens of children from starvation.